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Interview with Night Argent

Night
Argent has proven they are undeniably electrifying in their whole
presentational style anthemic rock. They continue their unique vein
of infectious melodies with their markedly high-energy live
performances. Band mates hailing from the land of Pasco, Washington-
Chase Manhattan (lead vocals), Jeff Stachofsky (guitar), Shane
Santanna (keys), Evan Taylor (bass), and Zac Burrell (drums) are the
five individuals who give Night Argent their truly dynamic,
breakthrough sound.

Night
Argent recently won the John Lennon Songwriting Contest and will be
heading out on the road for certain Vans Warped Tour dates in 2016.
Catch up with them on tour and be watching for their video,
“Widowmaker.”

Song
River: It seems there is no way that Pasco, Washington was ever going
to be able to contain what Night
Argent
has beating in its rock soul. You
got a taste of Warped Tour in 2015. How was the overall experience?

Night
Argent: Incredible. But it was also eye opening. Touring is a lot of
work, and we weren't fully aware of how brutal the regiment was going
to be. Still, we loved it, and can't wait to go back this summer.

SR:
How did the opportunity come about for the John Lennon Songwriting
contest?

Night
Argent: It's a repeating contest that we've entered before, so we
were aware of it prior. Every year they make adjustments to the prize
packages, but we love entering contests just to get feedback from the
judges, which helps us continue to grow.

SR:
What did you do to prepare for it?

Night
Argent: Well the timing was actually perfect, because we had just
finished recording all of the songs for our new EP. Wasn't
intentional, but it was nice to have our final product ready to
submit.

SR:
Were any of them altered specifically to fit this contest?

Night
Argent: No. We always want our music to be a true representation of
our band. Win or lose, at least we would know that we put ourselves
into the songs.

SR:
What was the criteria to enter?

Night
Argent: Pretty standard rules for songwriting contests. Has to be
original work, and the judges decide based on melody, composition,
lyrics, and originality.

SR:
You will be performing August 6-13th on Warped. If the band
wanted to add dates at this point could they?

Night
Argent: That would be great but we're not really sure. It was a joint
effort to schedule stops that would be mutually beneficial for us and
them. I guess it would depend on the circumstances.

SR:
Two and half years into this world of rock music, Ernie Ball winner
for Warped last year, John Lennon Songwriting Warped winner this
year, and an EP... what do you all think so far?

Night
Argent: We think that we've been extremely fortunate. We've poured
countless hours into growing ourselves and our band, but we also have
an incredible team behind the scenes working around the clock to
grant us opportunities to get our music out there. Not to mention the
support from our fans. We're just happy to be doing what we love, and
we'll keep at it as long as we can.

SR:
Did you all follow the typical protocol for becoming the band you are
at this moment?

Night
Argent: Not really sure what the "typical protocol" would
be. We sacrificed, we argued, we sought guidance, we compromised. If
there's a secret protocol for success, please let us know, and we'll
use it! (laughed)

SR:
Watching the behind the scenes for the video/single "Widowmaker"
one has to wonder what took more work... the writing and recording of
the album, or the making of the video? Dang that water looked cold,
plus playing 'ninja' while running around on those rocks.

Night
Argent: The album has taken years. But that's only because we
continued playing songs live, and adjusting them based on feedback
and response. The video was shot over the course of several months.
It definitely FELT like more time went into it. At times it was
brutal. Sprinting and vaulting in takes, over and over, from the
morning til nightfall. Two of us had a fight scene that took hours to
film, and it was shot on a bed of thorn bushes. All we hope is that
people enjoy the final product. After all, that'swhy
we do all of it.

SR:
As you take this path, careful and deliberate, is there room for
spontaneity?

Night
Argent: Always. After all, where's all the fun in staying on the
path? Sometimes random is the best option.

SR:
For those fans lucky enough to catch you on Warped Tour- they are
fortunate. For the rest of your fans who may not- where can they find
you 2016-17?

​Night
Argent: We haven't solidified any other touring dates yet, but our
video for "Widowmaker" will be out soon. So follow us on
Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter, to stay up to date on everything
we're up to.

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